Closing Doors, Opening Windows

Graduating is another word for ending. The ending of your time at university, and the commitments associated with. It’s also another word for beginning – the beginning of your next adventure, your next challenge. The next chapter of your life.

On Wednesday, I had to go to Kanata to fill in some paperwork for my next chapter – the internship I’ll be doing from May to August. I ended up having lunch with some people, including the guy leading the project I’ll be working on and we talked about that a little. I’m excited for my next chapter, these new challenges.

Then in the evening, it was the last WISE Inspiring Women event. We had a wonderful speaker, Dr Mona Nemer, who gave an informal, inspiring talk. She talked about balance, and confidence, and underestimating yourself (and gave an amusing example of a time when she’d underestimated herself). She talked to us about not over-planning our lives, but being open to opportunities. I really enjoyed it – she was so warm, and open, and definitely inspirational.

I’d decided that after her talk would be a great time to say goodbye because this would be my last formal event as president, and thank the girls who have worked so hard with me to make this past year a success. I talked briefly about how WISE got started, and what we’d achieved over the last year. And then, I thanked the other girls and gave each of them a small gift (the previous day, I’d been rushing about trying to pick out something different and thoughtful for everyone).

It was funny, because we were all secretly planning things and hiding them. Because after everyone was standing at the front, I was kept there and Rachelle talked about what I’d done and they gave me a card, a giftcard (can’t wait to go buy some new books!) and some flowers, which was really lovely. She said some really nice things about me, and I was so moved. And there was hugging, and tears.

I thought that perhaps I would just fade away and that would be it, no-one would notice how hard I’d worked, or that I was gone. But I was wrong.

I was noticed. I made a difference.

But – I couldn’t have done it on my own. So thank you – first and most of all to the other girls who’ve worked with me this past year, but also to every speaker who has generously donated their time, and to everyone who came to one of our events. Thank you.